Risen
by Lotus Lock
Summary: A tale about Tuck-a new trainer-and his tomboy friend, Frankie. They get whisked away to the world of R.A.E.-Pokemon that have Risen Above Expectations-by a strange trainer named Loka, who informs them of an evil force threatening to change their world...
1. Prologue

Risen

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own the Pokemon franchise, which includes the show, games, trading cards, yada yada…BUT I do own Tuck, Frankie, and Loka because I made them up. AND I own the idea of a R.A.E., because I made that up as well. The only thing I don't own about R.A.E. is that they are Pokemon, which I do not own. Aaaaand the only way that will make any sense is if you read the story, so get a move on!

**Prologue: Moltres's Request**

Staring into the eyes of Moltres is much like staring into a blazing inferno. Bold, wild, and fierce. A magnificent sight few ever get to behold. Yet there Loka stood, calmly smiling, before his Leader. He always felt much more comfortable in the colossal North Wing when Moltres was there. She made the room seem less formidable; less empty. The flames from her wings glowed in the dimly lit room and warmed Loka's face. Moltres addressed her Ambassador, sending her strong voice into Loka's mind.

_The boy is ready, Loka._

Loka frowned in confusion. _Can she be talking about Tuck? But isn't-_

_Is there something wrong?_

Loka mentally scolded himself for forgetting that Moltres can hear his thoughts. He hated the idea of disagreeing with the Leader.

"Well," said Loka, "isn't he too young to be a trainer?"

_Oh, yes…The rule where he lives is that you must be ten years old to receive your first Pokemon, isn't it?_

Loka nodded sheepishly.

_That rule means nothing to me._

"But, surely we don't want to start any trouble! Why don't we just wait; he's not that much under the age anyway. In a year or two, he can-"

_He's already found a Pokemon._

Loka took a step back in surprise, almost losing his footing on the stairway behind him. Moltres laughed, obviously amused by his reaction. "Wh-what kind?"

_A Riolu._

Loka stared silently at Moltres. Something bad was happening. "Tuck lives in the Kanto region."

_I know._

"So how…"

_It was dropped by new recruits of Team Rocket's._

"Why would they just steal any old Riolu out of nowhere and take it all the way to Kanto? Unless it belong to another trainer, it doesn't make sense."

_They tried to steal it because they knew it was R.A.E. material. They were trying to go through the portal into our world._

Loka's pulse quickened as the magnitude of what she just said settled into his mind. "the legendary Robot Pokemon are behind all this, aren't they? They told Team Rocket about the R.A.E.!"

_Exactly! I never would have imagined the Robots being __**this **__ruthless! Exposing us to the outside world like this is something I never thought they would resort to doing! At least there's always Team Rocket's stupidity to count on…_

Loka couldn't help but to laugh. "They obviously have no idea what they're dealing with when it comes to RAE! They really underestimated Riolu!"

_Yes, but there's still the Robots' original trainers that we need to worry about. You know how dangerous they can be, and soon they'll even whip the new Team Rocket recruits into shape. Never let your guard down, Loka._

Loka turned away from her in frustration. Just the thought of what the Robots have done to RAE made his temper rise like nothing else. "I don't understand, Moltres! We've known that they were no good for a long time now! The other Roosts must know, too! Why don't we all just join together and get rid of them for good?!"

_No matter what there practices are, they are all Leaders of their Roosts and must be treated as such. And I know what they're doing is unfair, but there's nothing we can do until we know exactly what they're capable of. We've seen them do horrible things before. They could have something even worse in case we do come after them. It would be senseless to risk the lives of so many innocent RAE._

Feeling helpless and defeated, Loka turned desperately to Moltres. "Then what can we do?!"

_Bring the boy to me. Only then, will there be hope._

**Author's Note:**

Um, just for the record, it's ok if you don't exactly understand what's going on yet. Loka will explain it in detail to Tuck when he finds him, so relax. J


	2. Chapter 1

Risen

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own the Pokemon franchise, which includes the show, games, trading cards, yada yada…BUT I do own Tuck, Frankie, and Loka because I made them up. AND I own the idea of a R.A.E., because I made that up as well. The only thing I don't own about R.A.E. is that they are Pokemon, which I do not own. Aaaand the only way that will make any sense is if you read the story, so get a move on!

**Chapter 1: Leaving**

"Come on, Riolu! Sit still! I'm only trying to-" But Tuck was knocked flat on the floor before he could finish his sentence. Riolu scrambled to the other side of Tuck's room, taking up a defensive stance. Tuck sat up, rubbing his arm. "You're never going to get better if you keep struggling…"

The little Pokemon leapt up onto Tuck's bed, unfazed. "Riolu, I'm not going to hurt you! It's only a potion. They heal you." Riolu narrowed his eyes at Tuck challengingly. Tuck frowned. "I guess you want to do it the hard way," he said, jumping up and running toward Riolu.

But, the Pokemon jumped up onto the windowsill before Tuck got to him.

"Riolu, wait!"

He opened the window with his strong paws, dropping out of sight. Acting quickly, Tuck barreled down the stairs to the lower level of the PokeMart. His father was with a customer, but unfortunately noticed Tuck when he came down.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I, um, dropped something out the window!" Tuck said frantically, almost bumping into another customer on the way out of the store. It was warm and sunny that day in Viridian City, so a lot of people were outside enjoying the weather. Of course, Tuck didn't have time to enjoy anything because of Riolu.

For a few frightening moments Tuck couldn't find him. He ran a hand through his brown hair in frustration. But, he finally spotted him by the gym. Tuck began to walk toward Riolu slowly, making sure not to scare him away. The Pokemon seemed tense, looking behind Tuck with a glare. Tuck turned around to see what Riolu was staring at.

Standing before him was a man he had never seen before, dressed in a black uniform with a bright red capital R on the front of it. He looked down at Tuck with a sneer. "Out of the way, punk! That's _my _Pokemon!"

Tuck turned to look at Riolu. His fur was bristling in fear and anger. Then he looked back at the man. "You're from Team Rocket. I don't trust you, and neither does Riolu!"

The man laughed menacingly. "You're right about me being from Team Rocket. And that's why you should get out of my way before I show you exactly what Team Rocket is capable of!"

Tuck stood his ground without an ounce of fear, which was clearly not the reaction that the Team Rocket member wanted. He grinded his teeth in anger and latched a hand on Tuck's arm. "Listen here, you little-"

Suddenly, a hand appeared on the man shoulder and whirled him around. The person then punched the man square in the nose, knocking him out cold. Tuck looked up at the person in surprise. She had black hair tied in a ponytail that stuck out under her navy blue cap. She was wearing blue jeans and a thin, white hoodie with the word 'Exile' written on it in fancy, dark blue lettering. Rubbing her hand on her black mailbag, she muttered, "Ew… Now I have ugly Team Rocket germs all over my fist…" She looked up at Tuck and smiled in greeting. Looking at her more closely, Tuck realized she had one brown eye and one blue one. "So, are you okay, kid?"

Tuck nodded. The girl looked over Tuck's head, which wasn't hard for her because she was taller than him. "Hey, I've never seen a Pokemon like that before! Where'd you find it?" she exclaimed, taking a red device out of her bag and opened it up. Inside, the screen was cracked. "Oh, yeah…I forgot; it's broke. Oh, well."

"What's that?" Tuck asked.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you don't know?! It's a Pokedex! Don't you have one?"

"Well, I'm not technically a trainer yet, but I want to be."

The girl smiled. "Hey, I can help you. Let's just go back to your house and ask if you can start getting badges."

"That soon? My dad doesn't even know about Riolu yet…" said Tuck uneasily.

"He'll be okay with it. I'll even escort you through Viridian Forest to get your first badge!" she said, starting to walk into town.

"Yeah…It would make my dad feel better to know that I have an experienced trainer helping me…you _are _a trainer, right?"

The girl whirled around and looked at him like he had just slapped her. "Of course, I'm a trainer! I came all the way here from Fuchsia City with five badges! Now get a move on and show me which one's your house before I change my mind!"

Tuck pointed to the Mart. "My father owns it, so we live upstairs."

"Oh, that's convenient! We can get some Pokeballs before we leave!"

Tuck stopped and turned around. Riolu was staring at the prone Rocket, seeming to be deep in thought. "Are you coming, Riolu?" asked Tuck quietly. The Pokemon stared at him for a while, then began to walk forward. But he stumbled from his previous injuries. Tuck picked him up and quickened his pace to catch up to the girl. "We're going to give you that potion when we get back, too."

The customers were gone when the three of them came to the Mart. Tuck's father looked up from the counter and smiled. "So, you finally decided to show me that Pokemon you found this morning, huh, Tuck?"

Tuck's face flushed. He should have known his dad would find out!

His father shifted his gaze to the girl. "And who's this?"

"My name's Frankie," she said, grinning broadly and shaking his hand. "I was wondering if you would allow…um, Tuck to be a Pokemon trainer. I told him I would help him through the forest."

His father looked down at the counter and sighed. "He was bound to go sometime…I just didn't expect it to be so soon…But you can go if you want to. As long as you be safe and come back home to visit when you're done." He began rifling through the shelves, pulling out all kinds of items. "I'll give you some potions and Pokeballs in case you need them."

Tuck took them from him. His father pulled him in for a hug. He leaned over and whispered in Tuck's ear, "Are you sure we can trust this Frankie girl?"

"Well, she's kind of strange, but she's really friendly and she has a lot of badges!" Tuck replied.

"Alright, then. Have fun and I love you."

"I love you too, dad."

Frankie was already out the door. "You guys are so cute! Father, son love!"

Tuck gave his father a reassuring look. "Don't worry, dad. Frankie's probably not as crazy as she seems. Bye!" he said as he followed Frankie out.

"Goodbye!" said his dad as they left, "And be careful!"

"Your dad seems nice." said Frankie, leading the way to Viridian forest.

Tuck nodded silently. He took the potion out of his backpack and gave it to Riolu. The Pokemon seemed to be calmer ever since the incident with the Rocket. Tuck decided to let him walk beside him instead of putting him in his Pokeball.

Once they reached the woods, Frankie turned around with a smile and pulled two Pokeballs from her bag. "Time to introduce you to the team." she said, throwing them on the ground. A Wartortle and a Gloom emerged, both appearing to be strong fighters. Wartortle eyed Riolu curiously, smiled, and slapped his back playfully. Riolu didn't seem amused about the action, and swatted at the water Pokemon irritably.

"Hey, don't be so serious, Riolu! He was only playing around with you." Tuck scolded. Riolu folded his arms stubbornly. Gloom didn't seem to be taking much interest in Riolu. She was too busy looking through the bushes.

"Pewter City is right outside the forest. We'll be there in no time!" said Frankie. Then she turned to a particularly thick bush that Gloom had just finished inspecting. "Hey, Tuck, this one has berries on it!" she exclaimed, pulling two handfuls of branches away to look for the biggest ones. But she only found herself staring face to face with a pair of light blue eyes.

"Please don't be alarmed!"

But, whoever it was didn't get his wish, because Frankie grabbed onto his shoulders and hurled him out in front of her, yelling the whole time. The boy was very mysterious, with pale white skin and white hair, but he looked to be about the same age as Frankie.

"What's the big idea, spying on us like that?! What kind of a creep are you?!" shouted Frankie.

The boy gulped nervously. "I'm not a creep, I was just looking for Tuck."

Tuck's dark green eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

That seemed to make Frankie angrier. "Oh, so you're an even bigger creep than I thought! You're a stalker! Well, I'll show you what me and my Pokemon do to stalkers! We'll settle this in a battle!"

The boy stared at her as if she had six heads. "_Why?_"

Frankie gaped at him in shock. "What do you mean, 'Why?'?! We always settle everything in a Pokemon battle around here! Whether someone cheated you at a game, or even if they look at you the wrong way, it _always _ends up in a battle! _Everyone _knows that! Where did you come from, you weirdo?!"

"Not here…But if you want a Pokemon battle, I'll give you one! I still don't know what good it'll do, though…" He muttered, and tossed his Pokeball, revealing a Shinx. The Pokemon had obviously been recently caught, whereas Frankie's Pokemon were already evolved and well trained. It seemed obvious who the winner would be. Frankie called her Gloom forward.

"Gloom, use Mega Drain!" she shouted. The Shinx darted out of the way before the attack could reach her. Then the Shinx immediately went at Gloom with a Tackle that sent the grass Pokemon flying. Frankie looked at the trainer in surprise, but he seemed uncomfortable battling.

Frankie commanded her Pokemon to use Acid next. It hit this time, and poisoned Shinx. The Shinx went after Gloom with another Tackle, this one even more powerful than the first. Frankie tried to make Gloom attack again with another Mega Drain, but she was too scared to attack. This Shinx shouldn't have been that strong, and Gloom knew it! The Shinx used Tackle for a last time, making Gloom faint. Frankie put her fainted Pokemon back, and called Wartortle forth. The Shinx started gnashing her fangs in anticipation.

"Your Shinx is so strong, but she's hardly been trained! How do you do it?!" Frankie asked.

"I'll explain everything after the battle," the trainer replied.

Wartortle used Bite on the Shinx…and then she used Bite back! "Hmm, she didn't know that attack before…" muttered the trainer. Then, Frankie told Wartortle to use Aqua Tail, finally causing the Shinx to faint. Wartortle sighed in relief.

Frankie folded her arms, glaring at the trainer as he withdrew Shinx. "Exactly _what _is going on here?! You have some serious explaining to do!"

The boy's eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "Well, I was waiting for you to go away, actually…but you don't seem to be a threat, so I guess it's okay…"

"Why don't we start with your name?" Tuck suggested sensibly.

"Well, I'm Loka. I already know _your_ name, but the girl…"

"Frankie," she grumbled.

"Your Pokemon fought quite well, by the way," said Loka with a smile.

"Don't think you're going to make me trust you just because of your compliments!" Frankie snapped. She leaned over to Tuck and whispered, "I don't like this guy. He's too polite."

Loka didn't seem to notice their private conversation, so he continued. "You see, I was looking for Tuck to come with me on an important mission regarding RAE."

Tuck and Frankie stared at him blankly. He sighed. "A RAE is a Pokemon who has Risen Above Expectations. They are naturally stronger than regular Pokemon, which is why my Shinx is so powerful even though I just caught her. But, she's not a RAE yet. She's just _eligible _to be a RAE. Like your Riolu, Tuck."

Tuck stared at Riolu curiously. "What can a RAE do?"

Loka laughed. "They can do all sorts of things, once they _become_ a RAE. But, to become one, they have to go through a ritual called the Rising Ceremony, which calls for finding all nine Rising Candles and placing them on the Tablet of Expectations. Your Pokemon must be at the highest level it can reach- level one hundred. Once the ceremony is complete, your Pokemon will be at level one hundred and one, making it an official RAE. Here, I'll show you mine."

Two Pokemon emerged from the forest: a Slowking and an Absol. It was obvious just by the way they carried themselves- they were powerful. Frankie was aghast. "Hey! You went easy on me!"

Loka shook his head. "I didn't really have much of a choice. RAE aren't really suited for battling. Not _playful_ battling, anyway."

Frankie folded her arms, still smoldering. "Well, if they can't battle, what good are they?!"

"They help us protect innocent people and Pokemon."

"Who's 'us'?" asked Tuck.

Loka closed his eyes, flustered. "There's too much to tell you…To be honest, I don't even know exactly why Moltres wants you to begin with, Tuck. She hasn't explained the whole situation to me yet. She wants you to be there to hear it."

"Moltres…" whispered Tuck, awestruck.

Loka rolled his eyes. "You can be excited later. So can we please get a move on? There's a Portal in Pallet Town that can take us to my world, so it's not too far off."

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Frankie. "How do you expect me to stand a chance in this place if everyone has RAE?!"

"I never said you _had _to come with us," said Loka. He winced, realizing that he might have hurt Frankie's feelings…But, she just seemed mad.

"I can handle myself just fine in your RAE world! And I said I would take care of Tuck, not give him off to some lunatic who likes to hide in bushes and spy on people! I wouldn't trust you with Tuck for a single second! He hardly even knows you!"

Tuck couldn't help but to laugh; he hardly knew _Frankie! _To his surprise, Riolu was laughing, too.

By now, Frankie had Loka backed up against a tree and was poking him in the chest. He put up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! Calm down, Cranky Frankie!"

"_**What **_did you just call me?!"

"…Cranky Frankie."

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?!"

Loka gave her a confused look. "What part of you was I saying it to before?"

Tuck smacked his forehead. He could tell it was going to be a loooong journey…

**Author's Note:**

Yes, there is more to explain in the next chapter, so it's okay if you're still confused. And I'm sorry for the lack of action, but there's too much important information to get through before the exciting parts come. But don't worry; it'll pick up the pace soon!


	3. Chapter 2

Risen

**Disclaimer: **

I do not own the Pokemon franchise, which includes the show, games, trading cards, yada yada…BUT I do own Tuck, Frankie, and Loka because I made them up. AND I own the idea of a R.A.E., because I made that up as well. The only thing I don't own about R.A.E. is that they are Pokemon, which I do not own. Aaaand the only way that will make any sense is if you read the story, so get a move on!

**Chapter 2: The World of RAE**

At first, it seemed like there was nothing different about the land through the portal. It was just like a continuation of Viridian Forest. But then the forest faded into a meadow, and they saw the Roost.

It was a large, dome-like building that was made of a strange material that had a sort of spider web design to it. There were four windows protruding at different spots around the top, each facing a different direction. At the very top was a life-like statue of Moltres. Multicolored sparks coursed through the intricate designs, giving the Roost an air of mystery.

"Well, here we are," Loka announced to his awestruck companions. "I'll give you the grand tour, and then we'll go see Moltres."

Loka approached the Roost and laid his hand on what must have been the door, but it blended in with the rest of the wall. There was a sizzling sound as the sparks went into a frenzy, and then part of the wall slowly started to dissolve until it disappeared. Beyond that was a large, open area full of trainers, all with powerful RAE. There was a large fountain in the center of the room with a few water Pokemon splashing about.

"This," said Loka, "Is the Square. It's the center of the Roost where we can relax when we don't have an assignment."

He gestured toward two flights of stairs. "We sleep in the Trainers' Quarters on the second floor. There's also an attic, but the only one who goes up there is the blacksmith."

"Why would you need weapons?" asked Frankie.

"RAE aren't the only ones who fight. The kind of trainers we go up against don't hold back. Anyway, the basement is used as a gym when the weather's bad. We're usually outside in the Training Grounds; the training sessions are held by the drill sergeant. There's also a library outside full of records made by RAE trainers. Everyone is required to keep one to save all the information about there journeys so they can be used for future reference if need be."

"What's in that room?" Tuck asked, pointing to the west side of the Square.

"That's the Sick Bay," Loka replied. "We have our own healers instead of Pokemon Centers like you're used to." Loka turned to the other end of the Roost. "To the East is the Kitchen. And, finally, the Warp Room is through those big double doors to the North."

Tuck stared in fascination. The doors were absolutely gigantic, easily dwarfing even the biggest Pokemon. He couldn't imagine how anyone could open them.

"Nobody is allowed in there but Moltres, the Secondary Leader, and the Ambassador, which is me. The Secondary Leader is the one in charge when Moltres is gone. He also assigns missions to the trainers and delivers messages from the Leader RAE, who in our case is Moltres. Now, the Ambassador is also in direct contact with the Leader RAE, but is also sent to other Roosts to do missions for them and keep peace between the Roosts. We are usually the ones sent to do the more dangerous and risky missions." He looked from Tuck to Frankie. "Of course, you're allowed in because this is a special circumstance. You can come too, Frankie, as long as you show some respect and don't say anything stupid."

Frankie crossed her arms angrily. "I know; I'm not stupid! Besides, _you're _the one who talks too much, Mr. Tour Guide! Why can't you be more like Tuck here?! He hardly ever says a word!"

Tuck's eyes widened. _Oh, why is she bringing me into this?_

Thankfully for Tuck, the Warp Room's doors opened, but only enough for one person to go through at a time. Loka lead the way. Riolu clutched Tuck's shirt tightly in anticipation. Moltres was waiting for them inside.

_Loka, you have done well. You have brought me the boy as I asked. But who is this?_

Frankie spoke for herself before Loka could answer. "I'm Tuck's friend, Frankie. You see, Loka begged me to come with them to your Roost because he was just _so _fond of having me around. He'd be a miserable wreck without me."

Moltres gave the mortified Loka an inquisitive stare.

"Please, don't listen to her Moltres; she's deranged," he pleaded.

"Deny it all you want. It only makes it even more obvious that I'm right," said Frankie with a smirk.

"That's absolutely absurd!"

_Silence! The both of you, be quiet, before I have to roast someone!_

The room went still. Loka shot a quick glare at Frankie before Moltres continued.

_Now, Tuck, I'm sure you're wondering why we brought you here. Unfortunately, I myself only have a vague understanding of your importance to us. But, I can give you some information._

To Loka's dismay, Frankie sat down right on the floor in preparation for another long talk about the mysterious RAE world.

_There are four legendary robot Pokemon: Regirock, Regice, Registeel, and Regigigas. They have been noted by many Roosts, including mine, for connecting RAE and trainers who are unfit to be a RAE trainer with the use of a machine. They also turn Pokemon into Shadow Pokemon, which is very dangerous for RAE because they are connected to their trainer in a way that they feel each others' pain. So, if a RAE faints, so does its trainer, making it easy for RAE to get stolen if they lose a battle. However, the robots' machine was destroyed a while ago, and we didn't hear from them for some time. But lately they have been causing trouble again, which means they have built another machine. Celebi decided to put an end to their crimes, but it ended in disaster. Her team has been weakened ever since, which is why she trusted me to send Loka to get you, Tuck. But I'm not sure what it has to do with you, and I don't know anything about the new machine. Which is why you need to go to Celebi's Roost. Loka will show you the way._

Loka nodded; he had been to Celebi's Roost numerous times.

Frankie yawned. "Boy, you people sure do talk a lot in the RAE world."

Loka yanked her up, obviously anxious to leave before Frankie offended Moltres. "To Celebi's Roost, then! We better leave as soon as possible!"

Tuck cast a glance at Moltres. She didn't seem offended by Frankie at all. "Is that all you wanted to tell me, Moltres?" he asked.

_Only one more thing: keep looking for the Rising Candles. Your Riolu will need to become a full RAE soon to help with your quest._

Tuck nodded and followed Loka, who was practically dragging Frankie out the door.

"I _knew _I should have never brought you in! Don't you ever know when to shut up?!"

"_Me _shut up? _You're _the one who talks too much!"

It had been over a half hour since they left Moltres's Roost, and Frankie and Loka were still arguing. By now they were walking through a dense forest on their way to Celebi's Roost.

"Well, at least I had something important to say! You just blurt out whatever pops into your head!"

Riolu fidgeted in Tuck's arms, pointing at a figure in a tree. Tuck stopped to see what Riolu was looking at. It was a Farfetch'd, and it seemed to be wearing a strange bowl-like thing for a hat. "Hey, you guys! Come and look at this!"

They returned, still bickering, and Loka stared at the Pokemon with a shocked expression. "Tuck, that Farfetch'd has a candle!"

Tuck squinted up into the tree. "It doesn't look like a candle to me."

"That's because Rising Candles don't have wax until the Rising Ceremony begins. But we have to get it before the Pokemon flies off, or we'll be chasing him all through the forest for it! After we get this one, we'll only need one more to have all nine!"

Frankie patted Loka on the back. "Your math skills need work. If we get this one, we need eight more."

Loka smiled and pulled seven of the candles out of his backpack. "I was trying to get them all before you guys came. But you need them more than I do, Tuck."

Almost as if he heard what they were saying, the Farfetch'd took off into the woods. They immediately gave chase, running doggedly past the trees. The Pokemon flew faster, until it couldn't stop fast enough to keep from slamming into a tree. The tree shook violently as the Farfetch'd shook his head and flew out of sight. The tree lit up with glowing red eyes. Frankie groaned. "Oh, I know what that is! We better run!"

A horde of Beedrill emerged from the branches, took one look at the group of trainers, and flew towards them in a fury. They ran in the opposite direction, only to be stopped by a large Spinarak web that blocked their view. Frankie broke right threw it, and the rest of them followed her…and then there was nothing but air under their feet.

Tuck's grip on Riolu tightened as they fell into the rough river below. Riolu struggled briefly, and then realized that Tuck wasn't going to let him go so he calmed down. Tuck fought to keep his and Riolu's heads above water. He noticed the Farfetch'd flying directly above them. Something fell into the river.

"That's the candle! Slowking, go!" shouted Loka.

Loka's Slowking sped through the water like it was nothing, reaching the candle in no time. He swam onto the shore, and held up the candle for Loka to see. Suddenly, the Farfetch'd swooped down and snatched it out of his paw, flying away triumphantly. Slowking sighed, exasperated. Loka clenched his teeth in anger. "Why does that Farfetch'd want the candle so badly?! Ah, it doesn't matter; we need to follow him before he flies out of sight again!"

They pulled themselves out of the river and followed the Farfetch'd into a cave. "We have him trapped now!" said Loka. "There's no way out of this cave besides the way we came in."

They walked quietly across the cave floor. The dim light made it hard to see where they were going. Suddenly, Farfetch'd whizzed past their heads, squawking in fear. Tuck felt Riolu tense. The ground began to rumble slightly. Loka brought out his Shinx and used her to light up the cave, revealing an enraged Ursaring charging towards them. Naturally, they spun around and ran as fast as they could, but the Ursaring was still gaining on them. Riolu tugged on Tuck's shirt, and gave him an intense look. Tuck let go of Riolu and turned to face the Pokemon. "Riolu, use Force Palm!"

Riolu knocked the Ursaring into the wall of the cave. But, the impact knocked a big rock onto Riolu, trapping him. The attacking Pokemon lumbered towards Riolu, but Tuck blocked his path. Riolu looked up at Tuck in surprise and clenched his little fists. He let out a yell loud enough to stop the Ursaring in its tracks. Then, a white light shone through the rock.

"Hey, Tuck! I think Riolu's evolving!" said Frankie.

The sparkling light expanded, causing the rock to roll away. Sure enough, behind all the light was Lucario. The newly evolved Pokemon lunged for the Ursaring, using a powerful, furious Close Combat to knock it out cold. Tuck smiled at Lucario.

Loka came into view behind Frankie. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Tuck and Rio- I mean Lucario made sure of that," said Frankie.

"Well, the Farfetch'd is gone, and I don't know about you guys, but I've had it with chasing the stupid thing around. Let's just go find Celebi's Roost. We're actually close now."

Frankie stretched. "For once, I agree. Lead the way."

They shuffled out of the cave and into the forest. Despite being exhausted, wet, and a little beat up, Tuck and Lucario kept their spirits up as they neared the Roost. They could just barely see the top of the dome in the distance: a statue of Celebi. Frankie sighed in relief. "We're almost there!"

Suddenly, they heard wings flapping overhead. The Farfetch'd was back, still wearing the candle on his head. Frankie shook her fist at the bird in fury. "I'm not letting you get away this time, after all the trouble you put us through!" she shouted, tearing after the Pokemon. She chased him all the way into the Roost, where the magic door opened for the Farfetch'd and Frankie followed him in. Tuck and Loka burst in behind them. The Farfetch'd flew over to a trainer and dropped the candle into her outstretched hand.

"Hey, lady! What do you think you're doing with our candle?!" shouted Frankie.

The trainer laughed. "Hey, I was the one who found it. You'll just have to wait until I get the rest of them. _Then_ you can have it."

Frankie clenched her fists in rage. "You weren't the one to find it! You're lousy Farfetch'd did, and _we_ chased him all over creation! So you better hand it over before I have to beat the living daylights out of you!"

Loka put himself in between Frankie and the trainer before the argument could escalate. "Please, give us the Rising Candle. It's very important that Tuck uses it, and we already have seven of them."

The trainer folded her arms stubbornly. "Hey, you're not the only RAE trainer in the world, you know! I'm not just going to give it to you for no reason!"

Loka stood his ground. "We're not leaving without it."

"Fine," said the trainer with a shrug, "I'll battle you for it. But, if I win, I get your candles."

Loka nodded without hesitation. He turned around to his RAE. "Absol, go!"

Absol leapt in front of him eagerly. A Starmie emerged from the fountain and used Swift. Absol braced herself against the attack, and lashed back with a powerful Night Slash. The Starmie was knocked backwards, but whipped right around and used Hydro Pump. Absol jumped nimbly over the torrent of water, diving into the Starmie with a Sucker Punch. The attacked brought Starmie to the ground, But not quite fainted yet. The trainer winced. Absol conjured up a Shadow Ball that made the Starmie faint. Suddenly, the trainer dropped to the ground, completely unconscious. Loka just walked calmly up to her and took the candle.

"Shouldn't we help her?!" asked Tuck.

"We can just leave her there; she'll wake up eventually." Said Loka nonchalantly. He led them up to the North Wing to see Celebi at last.

"She deserved it anyway, the little brat…" muttered Frankie.

"Um, Frankie? Are you sure you shouldn't stay out here while we talk to Celebi?" asked Loka, trying his best not to offend her.

Frankie snorted. "And what? Get stuck with Little Miss Candle-Thief when she wakes up? I don't think so! I don't care if I have to listen to you guys talk about confusing RAE-stuff!"

Loka looked at her in disappointment. "You don't understand any of it?"

"Well…Yeah, I understand it." she said slowly, not quite understanding why Loka was so concerned about it.

He smiled slightly and the North Wing's door opened for us. Celebi was in the center like Moltres was. She looked up at us and spread out her arms.

_You've come to ask me about the Robots' machine. I'll tell you all that I know from when I tried to destroy it. Alas, they have somehow made it indestructible, so my Roost was defeated. We are very weak now because of our loss, so I must ask you to destroy the machine for me. You see, after the battle, I went to my friend, Rayquaza, because I knew that she had the power to create the Stardust Key, which is the only thing that can stop the machine. But, the key will only work if you wield it, Tuck. Only Rayquaza knows why, though._

Tuck looked at Lucario in wonder. Why is he so important to the RAE?!

_But, before I send you on your way, I must tell you something disturbing about the machine…The Robots are trying to get it to turn regular Pokemon into RAE so they can have a bigger army…The problem is, it isn't working…_

Frankie raised an eyebrow. "How is that a problem?"

_When the experiment doesn't work, it kills the Pokemon. If we don't put an end to their machine, it won't only be RAE suffering._

Loka stood up, eager to bring peace to his world. "We'll set things right, Celebi! Just tell us the way to Rayquaza!"

_Just past this forest, there is a tall mountain. Rayquaza's Roost is at the top._

Loka was already out the door. "We'll get moving right away! Don't worry about a thing, Celebi! Those Robots won't stand a chance against us!"

**Author's Note:**

I apologize again for the lack of action…The real intense parts will come in the next chapter! Oh, and the reason why it's rated T is because of violence and possible death. Just thought I'd mention that, as if anyone actually reads the author's notes anyway…


End file.
